Motorcycle merchant has traveled from 'Titanic' to vintage bikes

Nov. 16, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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A Norton motorcycle is ready for a buyer in the showroom of Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle Co. owner Mark Williams sits alongside a 1952 Ariel motorcycle in his San Clemente shop, which specializes in the sale, repair and restoration of vintage motorcycles and spare parts. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle Co. at 2110 S. El Camino Real in San Clemente will host a grand opening Saturday with live music, food and drawings for prizes such as a restored Honda 75 motorcycle. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Vintage motorcycles at Montgomery Motorcycle Co. range from $3,000 to $16,000, according to owner Mark Williams. He says he also can access a much wider selection of bikes than what's in the store. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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A close-up of the motor on an Indian vintage motorcyle at Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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A 1952 Ariel is on display at Montgomery Motorcycle. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle Co. owner Mark Williams says he found this 1942 Indian Sport Scout in a cardboard box at an estate sale for the DuPont family. The vintage bike probably had been pulled apart in 1966 and not ridden since, Williams says. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Equipment once used in diagnostic repair of cars, trucks and motorcycles has been retrofitted with a television playing motorcycle-themed movies on a loop. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle stocks a wide variety of motorcycle parts, memorabilia, clothing and accessories such as this STP sticker and old-school glasses. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle owner Mark Williams, a motorcycle enthusiast from a young age, takes frequent trips throughout the United States looking for vintage bikes and parts, including this Norton with Ohio license plates. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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A vintage-style reproduction cast-iron toy is on display at Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Vintage motorcycles line the showroom of Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. Bikes are priced from $3,000 to $16,000. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Mark Williams of Montgomery Motorcycle Co. says Indian's iconic styling helps make it one of the top three vintage-motorcycle manufacturers. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle Co. owner Mark Williams identifies Harley-Davidson as one of the three most consumer-friendly manufacturers of vintage motorcycles. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Triumph is one of Montgomery Motorcycle Co. owner Mark Williams' choices of the three best makers of vintage bikes. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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The Montgomery Motorcycle logo is reflected in the glass eyepiece of vintage goggles at the shop's showroom in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Montgomery Motorcycle owner Mark Williams sits in the showroom of his San Clemente shop. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Brett Robinson, 21, of San Clemente is a mechanic and salesman at Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. “I was 7 and my parents … dropped me off at my grandparents' house for the weekend. ... My grandfather found me in his garage sitting on his Harley. … He threw me on his lap and we went on a ride around his neighborhood until it started to get dark. I was scared to death and in love.” DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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Blake Washington, 22, of San Clemente, is a partner and mechanic at Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. “Bike manufacturers paid way more attention to styling and detail back in the day, and that's what I love about vintage bikes. …There's a real brotherhood within the vintage motorcycle community. It's a real commitment, waking up early on the weekends to go to the swap meet and find that one part you need for your bike, and how stoked you are when you find it.” DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

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A vintage Indian motorcycle occupies the showroom of Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente, which will celebrate its grand opening Saturday. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

A Norton motorcycle is ready for a buyer in the showroom of Montgomery Motorcycle Co. in San Clemente. DAVID BRO, FOR THE REGISTER

Grand opening

What: Montgomery Motorcycle Co.

When: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday

Where: 2110 S. El Camino Real, San Clemente

Featuring: San Clemente bands Smiling Face Down and the Altar Billies; a drawing for prizes including a restored Honda 75 motorcycle; food and beer from Hapa J's restaurant

Phone: 949-940-8380

Mark Williams with nothing to do is not a good thing.

So the San Clemente resident, a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast, opened Montgomery Motorcycle Co., specializing in vintage bikes made in the 1920s to 1970s.

Williams says his aim is to stock classics anyone can afford. But vintage bikes always need parts and experienced mechanics, so he also offers repair, restoration and routine maintenance, along with safety gear such as helmets, gloves and outer wear like James Dean or Steve McQueen would have used.

"There are some vintage bikes available for well over $100,000," Williams said. "We can get those, but mainly we are going to have bikes where anyone can walk in and leave riding a bike that's just right for them."

So, what are the three most important things to consider when buying a vintage motorcycle?

• First, Williams says, you have to be ready to put up with a little inconvenience for a lot of fun. The need for repairs can come with little or no warning. It doesn't always mean a lot of expense, but you do have to be ready for it.

• Second, make sure the brand of vintage bike you are interested in has good parts availability, Williams says.

• Third, make sure the bike you want matches the type of riding you want to do. Many vintage bikes were not built for freeway speeds, and even if they are, they can take longer than the length of the onramp to get there.

BUILDING 'TITANIC'

Williams started as a general contractor in Los Angeles, quickly becoming known for quality work delivered on time and on budget. He remembers a pivotal moment after the Northridge earthquake in 1994 when a small office renovation on the Paramount Studios lot turned into a several-million-dollar repair.

It started him down the path of building the Baja California studio lot and pool for the 1997 blockbuster movie "Titanic." Williams completed the project in 100 days with 1,000 men working 24 hours a day in what was then the most expensive movie ever made, at $200 million. The work included sound stages and a giant pool at the water's edge where the ocean liner sank in the movie. Williams built not only the film's Titanic but everything inside it.

"We had to get dynamite to blast out the pool from a mining company in another part of Mexico," Williams said. "When it got to us in Baja, half of it was missing, but we got it done."

Williams and a partner continued with large-scale works in and around Los Angeles until a project at a large university ended up in court over nonpayment of several million dollars in signed change orders, Williams said.

After several years of battling it out, he decided it would be more productive to do something else, though he didn't know what it would be. After a month of nothing to do but hang out in the garage tinkering with the family's motorcycles, he rented a small commercial space at the south end of San Clemente.

NEW PLACE, OLD NAME

It wasn't long before interest in vintage bikes grew and he bought what had been a transmission repair shop built in the early 1950s along south El Camino Real in San Clemente. Williams rebuilt the place, using the worn, paint-stained exterior on the interior of the new building. Salvaged wood floors complete the look, along with shop and display tables made from parts that had once done heavier duty in repair shops across Southern California.

After some research, Williams took the name Montgomery for his new endeavor, trademarking it from a long-closed English motorcycle company known for making the first sidecars.

The shop's details include accent lights on the ceiling made from headlights, a beer tap for parties made from an old grease cart and a television showing motorcycle movies on a loop.

Several bikes are on display and ready to ride out the door. If a customer needs help finding a specific bike, Williams will do that too, he said.

Bikes start at about $3,000 and range to about $16,000.

In one area of the shop, partially assembled bikes in all stages of restoration sit waiting for the patient hands of a new owner. Williams pointed to a large metal shelf where a multicolored bike sat in a pile. It's a classic with some history, he said – a 1942 Indian Sport Scout that probably last hit the road in 1966 and was then taken apart.

"We found this at an estate sale for the DuPont family," Williams said. "It was just in a box and no one knew what it was. ... It would be a great bike for someone to put together ... unless we get to it first."

TOP THREE VINTAGE BIKES

These are Mark Williams' picks of the top three consumer-friendly vintage motorcycle makers. The comments are his:

Indian. Iconic styling, innovation and reliability make Indian a popular choice for collectors worldwide. It was the first major manufacturer, first with a V-twin, first two-speed transmission, first adjustable front suspension, first electric lights and first electric starter (50 years before Harley-Davidson).

Harley-Davidson. No other company has made such a solid commitment to tradition. As a result, Harley is the bike other manufacturers imitate when building a cruiser. After-market parts availability is excellent, and Harley enthusiasts are eager to help.

Triumph. The parallel twin, first produced in 1937, was a major design influence for nearly every motorcycle manufacturer since. Variations of the "Speed Twin" design are still in use today because of its blend of reliability, economy and performance. Parts are plentiful and affordable, making ownership within reach for many.

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